Guide to Korean Expressions for Taste, Smell, and Texture

Introduction

Korean has a remarkably rich set of words to describe flavor, aroma, and texture. These expressions go far beyond “sweet” or “salty.” They can capture subtle differences in food, especially meat, and are even extended metaphorically to describe emotions and experiences. By learning these expressions, Korean learners can vividly talk about food and also better understand cultural nuances.

1. Basic Tastes (기본 맛)

달다 (to be sweet)
아이스크림이 달아요. – The ice cream is sweet.
짜다 (to be salty)
라면이 짜요. – The ramen is salty.
쓰다 (to be bitter)
커피가 써요. – The coffee is bitter.
시다 (to be sour)
사과가 셔요. – The apple is sour.
감칠맛이 나다 (to have umami)
된장찌개는 감칠맛이 나요. – Doenjang stew has umami flavor.

2. Spiciness (매운맛)

맵다 (spicy)
김치찌개가 매워요. – Kimchi stew is spicy.
매콤하다 (moderately spicy)
불고기가 매콤해요. – The bulgogi is slightly spicy.
얼얼하다 (numbing spicy)
마라탕이 얼얼해요. – Mala soup makes your mouth numb.
화끈하다 (fiery, burning spicy)
불닭볶음면은 화끈해요. – Fire noodles are fiery hot.
칼칼하다 (sharp spicy, throat-clearing)
국물이 칼칼해요. – The broth has a sharp kick.
아리다 (stinging spicy)
고추가 매워서 입안이 아려요. – The chili makes my mouth sting.

3. Nutty & Hearty (고소/구수)

고소하다 (nutty, pleasantly savory)
참기름 냄새가 고소해요. – The sesame oil smells nutty.
구수하다 (hearty, earthy savory)
된장찌개가 구수해요. – The doenjang stew tastes hearty and savory.

4. Light & Clean (담백/깔끔)

담백하다 (light but tasty)
두부 요리가 담백해요. – The tofu dish tastes light but tasty.
깔끔하다 (clean, refreshing)
국물이 깔끔해요. – The soup has a clean taste.
은은하다 (subtle, mild)
차 맛이 은은해요. – The tea has a subtle flavor.

5. Rich & Deep Flavors (진하고 풍부한 맛)

진하다 (rich, strong)
커피가 진해요. – The coffee is strong.
진국이다 (very hearty, deeply rich — used almost exclusively for soup/broth)
이 국물은 진국이에요. – This broth is hearty and rich.

6. Bland & Weak Flavors (싱겁고 약한 맛)

싱겁다 (bland, lacking salt)
이 국은 좀 싱거워요. – This soup is bland.
슴슴하다 (mildly seasoned, subtle)
이 죽은 슴슴해요. – This porridge is mild.
심심하다 (plain, not flavorful)
국이 심심해요. – The soup is plain.
삼삼하다 (mild but pleasant)
국물이 삼삼해요. – The broth is mildly tasty.
간간하다 (lightly salty)
김치가 간간해요. – The kimchi is mildly salty.
짭짤하다 (pleasantly salty)
이 반찬이 짭짤해요. – This side dish is pleasantly salty.
밍밍하다 (watery, flat taste)
국이 밍밍해요. – The soup tastes watery.
맹맹하다 (dull, flavorless)
음식이 맹맹해요. – The food is dull and tasteless.
아무 맛도 안 난다 (no taste at all)
감기에 걸려서 아무 맛도 안 나요. – I can’t taste anything because of a cold.

7. Unpleasant Tastes (맛없거나 불쾌한 맛)

맛없다 (not tasty)
이 반찬은 맛없어요. – This side dish tastes bad.
느끼하다 (greasy, heavy with oil)
햄버거가 느끼해요. – The hamburger is greasy.
비리다 (fishy, unpleasant seafood/meat taste)
생선이 비려요. – The fish tastes fishy.
텁텁하다 (dry, rough aftertaste)
약을 먹으니 입안이 텁텁해요. – The medicine leaves a rough aftertaste.
역겹다 (disgusting)
음식 냄새가 역겨워요. – The food smell is disgusting.
떫다 (astringent, mouth-drying taste, often unpleasant)
감이 떫어요. – The persimmon is astringent.
쿰쿰하다 (stale, musty, unpleasant smell/taste)
고기가 쿰쿰해요. – The meat has a musty taste.

8. Sweet Spectrum (단맛 스펙트럼)

달달하다 (mildly sweet)
커피가 달달해요. – The coffee is mildly sweet.
달콤하다 (pleasantly sweet)
케이크가 달콤해요. – The cake is pleasantly sweet.
달짝지근하다 (slightly sugary)
소스가 달짝지근해요. – The sauce is slightly sweet.

9. Sour Spectrum (신맛 스펙트럼)

새콤하다 (tangy, pleasant sourness)
김치가 새콤해요. – The kimchi is tangy.
시큼하다 (sharp sourness, often negative)
우유가 시큼해요. – The milk tastes sour.

10. Mixed Flavors (복합 맛)

새콤달콤하다 (sweet and sour)
탕수육이 새콤달콤해요. – Sweet and sour pork is tangy and sweet.
매콤달콤하다 (spicy and sweet)
떡볶이가 매콤달콤해요. – Tteokbokki is spicy and sweet.
달콤쌉싸름하다 (sweet and slightly bitter)
초콜릿이 달콤쌉싸름해요. – The chocolate is bittersweet.

11. Bitter Nuances (쓴맛 스펙트럼)

씁쓸하다 (slightly bitter, bittersweet nuance)
약이 씁쓸해요. – The medicine is slightly bitter.
쌉싸름하다 (fresh, crisp bitterness)
맥주가 쌉싸름해요. – The beer has a crisp bitterness.

12. When Something is Delicious (아주 맛있을 때)

맛있다 (delicious)
불고기가 맛있어요. – Bulgogi is delicious.
꿀맛이다 (as sweet as honey, fantastic)
운동 후 물은 꿀맛이에요. – Water after exercise tastes amazing.
일품이다 (a masterpiece, exquisite)
이 요리는 일품이에요. – This dish is a masterpiece.
끝내준다 (slang: awesome)
이 치킨 끝내줘요. – This chicken is awesome.
기가 막히다 (slang: unbelievably good)
엄마 손맛은 기가 막혀요. – Mom’s cooking is unbelievably good.
죽인다 (slang: killer taste)
이 김치찌개 죽여요. – This kimchi stew is amazing.
군침이 돌다 (mouth-watering)
냄새만 맡아도 군침이 돌아요. – Just smelling it makes my mouth water.
사르르 녹다 (to melt in the mouth)
고기가 입안에서 사르르 녹아요. – The meat melts in the mouth.

13. General Taste Concepts (맛 관련 일반 개념)

맛 (taste, flavor)
김치 맛이 좋아요. – The kimchi tastes good.
입맛 (appetite, personal taste)
요즘 입맛이 없어요. – I don’t have much appetite these days.
손맛 (flavor from someone’s cooking skill)
엄마 손맛이 최고예요. – Mom’s cooking is the best.
풍미 (flavor, aroma, depth)
와인은 풍미가 깊어요. – The wine has a deep flavor.
뒷맛 (aftertaste)
약이 쓰고 뒷맛이 나빠요. – The medicine is bitter with a bad aftertaste.

14. Aroma / Smell (향)

향긋하다 (fragrant, aromatic)
고기가 향긋해요. – The meat smells fragrant.
은은하다 (subtle, delicate aroma)
숯불 향이 은은해요. – The charcoal aroma is subtle.
숯향이 배다 (smoky from charcoal)
고기에 숯향이 배었어요. – The meat absorbed the smoky flavor.
비리다 (gamey, unpleasant smell)
고기가 비려요. – The meat smells gamey.
잡내가 나다 (bad raw odor)
고기에서 잡내가 나요. – The meat has a bad raw odor.
누린내 (stale, greasy meat smell – unpleasant)
삼겹살에서 누린내가 나요. – The pork belly has a greasy, unpleasant smell.
냄새가 고소하다 (savory aroma)
구운 고기 냄새가 고소해요. – Grilled meat has a savory aroma.
향이 풍부하다 (rich aroma)
향이 풍부한 와인이에요. – This wine has a rich aroma.
풋내 (raw/green smell, often unpleasant from unripe food)
오이에 풋내가 나요. – The cucumber has a raw, green smell.

15. Texture (식감)

부드럽다 (tender, soft)
고기가 부드러워요. – The meat is tender.
연하다 (tender, easy to cut)
스테이크가 연해요. – The steak is easy to cut.
야들야들하다 (very soft, tender)
살코기가 야들야들해요. – The lean meat is very tender.
쫄깃하다 (chewy in a pleasant way)
곱창이 쫄깃해요. – The tripe is pleasantly chewy.
찰지다 (firm and chewy, sticky)
떡이 찰져요. – The rice cake is sticky and chewy.
촉촉하다 (moist)
고기가 촉촉해요. – The meat is moist.
사르르 녹다 (to melt in the mouth)
고기가 입안에서 사르르 녹아요. – The meat melts in the mouth.
탱글탱글하다 (springy, bouncy)
소시지가 탱글탱글해요. – The sausage is bouncy.
육즙이 풍부하다 (juicy, full of meat juice)
스테이크가 육즙이 풍부해요. – The steak is juicy.
바삭하다 (crispy, crunchy outside)
튀김이 바삭해요. – The fried food is crispy.
아삭하다 (crisp, fresh crunch)
오이가 아삭해요. – The cucumber is crisp.
단단하다 (hard, firm)
과자가 단단해요. – The cookie is firm.
딱딱하다 (hard, tough)
빵이 딱딱해요. – The bread is hard.
물컹거리다 (mushy, soft in a bad way)
과일이 물컹거려요. – The fruit is mushy.
질기다 (tough, hard to chew – negative)
고기가 질겨요. – The meat is tough.
퍽퍽하다 (dry, crumbly – negative)
닭가슴살이 퍽퍽해요. – Chicken breast is dry.
뻣뻣하다 (stiff, rigid – negative)
고기가 뻣뻣해요. – The meat is stiff.
눅눅하다 (damp, stale – negative)
튀김이 눅눅해요. – The fried food is soggy.
텁텁하다 (heavy after chewing – negative)
고기가 텁텁해요. – The meat feels heavy in the mouth.

16. Metaphorical Uses (비유적 표현)

In Korean, “taste” goes beyond food to describe emotions and experiences.

맛있다 → fun, enjoyable, attractive
이 장면 너무 맛있다. – This scene is so fun to watch.
맛없다 → boring, uninteresting, disappointing
이 둘 케미 너무 맛없다. – The chemistry between these two is disappointing.

Conclusion

Korean expressions for taste, smell, and texture create a vivid vocabulary that helps describe food in detail and also capture emotions metaphorically. Of course, there are countless more words Koreans use, but this selection provides a strong and practical foundation for learners.